Bombshells in the Wind
by KittyCoffin
Summary: Stephanie's got her own secrets she's never told the boys, and now Ranger, Morelli, and the Merry Men are stuck trying to piece together the puzzle after Steph disappears. Babe, but that's not super important. Cupcakes welcome. Now Complete. My first FF.
1. Chapter 1: Getting the Last Word

**Bombshell in the Wind**

_Stephanie's got her own secrets she's never told the boys, and now Ranger, Morelli, and the Merry Men are stuck trying to piece together the mystery she's left behind after disappearing. Who's the mysterious former Special Forces agent who guards her location on fear of death - and why's he so scared of Steph? And how did they never find out about her very powerful, very influential buddies in Vegas? Hold on tight, Sweet Pea, you're in for one wild ride! Babe all the way - but that doesn't really matter this time around. Cupcake friendly. Set after Explosive Eighteen. *Note: this is my first FanFic, so we'll see how we do. I love feedback! Stephanie's 31 here, since I couldn't think of a better age, and is probably a lot out of character. But oh well, here it is! _

1

Getting the Last Word

I'd never given much thought to how my old friends from college would repay me for all I did for them between the time I met them in my second year of climbing Mount Everest toward that Academic Degree, and when I finally returned home to spare myself of my mother's continued insisting that there was nothing an uppity out of state college could give me, that one in my hometown of Trenton didn't offer. Yeah, I'd left behind a band of people forever altered by meeting me, but by the time I returned to the 'Burg, I'd been changed myself.

In truth, I was never one for becoming a barefoot and pregnant 'Burg housewife, always craving excitement and adventure - as was obvious by the time I was seven and took a not-so-much-flying leap off the garage roof - but after nearly a year of hanging out with the most crazy hilarious - and just plain crazy - people I'd ever met, I realized within my first week back that I would never be fully satisfied with life if I followed what was expected and got married and settled down with 2.5 kids and a white picket fence.

Well, now I had a surplus of adventure, and some excitement of the very bad variety. I stared down at the tenth little pink plus sign I'd seen this afternoon, and felt like I was going to throw up. Of course, that might just be morning sickness, some twisted little voice in the back of my head taunted. Ten pregnancy tests. Ten pink plus signs. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind; I was pregnant. But I didn't know what to do about it.

Oh, I knew who the father was - there was no question about that. But I also knew that he was definitely not boyfriend/husband material. Ranger had made it very obvious he didn't want a relationship, and I was certain he wouldn't be happy about the baby.

_The baby. _Shit!

I stood up, and dropped the white, plastic Stick of Doom on the sink, and began pacing in my little bathroom. I was drawing a complete blank. I knew I had to call someone, but -

A knock on the door interrupted my worrying. My eyes flashed to the alarm clock, noted the late time, and I began running through a list of who it could be as I made my way to the peephole. My parents were a possibility - though I didn't expect them to be on the other side of the door. Valerie, my older sister, wasn't a likely candidate, either. Morelli was known to show up at my door every now and then, considering our off-again on-again relationship, but a of couple weeks after my capturing the Rug, we'd had one of our locally famous quarrels, and were currently in the off-again stage. Ranger was out; he would just vaporize into a ghost of mocha latte goodness and slide through wood of my door, physics be damned. And any number of my college friends was equally likely to show up as my parents - but I wouldn't put it past them to have received my mental distress call and shown up like the heroes they all secretly were; everyone in my life seemed to be trained in the damned ESP I lacked.

But when I looked out the peephole, I was surprised to see that it _was_ Morelli waiting on the other side. He looked worried, and slightly pained - no. Not pained. Disbelieving. Whatever this was about, he wasn't sure if it was a dream or not, any more that I was. Opening the door, I cocked my head. "Joe. What are you doing here?" I wasn't willing to forgive him. Not one bit. Not after all the shit he'd pulled and the things he said.

He shifted uncomfortably, rubbed the back of his neck. And then he pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "Cupcake, you're under arrest," he informed me, and while I was stunned into silence, he quickly maneuvered my wrists behind my back and handcuffed me. Last time he'd cuffed me, I'd been naked. It hadn't been for fun, though. It had been years ago, when he was my first FTA, and I'd stolen his car. He'd chained me, naked and wet from my shower, to the curtain rod, and I'd had to call Ranger to come save me. Now, he was arresting me.

"What?" I finally gasped, and yes, my voice was shrill. And no, I didn't give a damn. "Why?"

He paused, to lean back and meet my gaze for a minute, before saying, "Dickie Orr is dead. Found with a strip of duct tape across his nose and mouth and tied to his office chair. And cupcake, a lot of people saw you try to strangle him day before yesterday. A lot of people heard you tell him he'd get what was comin'. Cupcake, they think you killed him." And with that, he dragged me down town.

Bail was set at a staggering amount, but I didn't have to worry about who I would call for help. As per usual, (if anything was "usual" in a case like this) Ranger arrived shortly after we did, and paid without blinking. It only took a few minutes, total, but I zoned out for most of the time. When Ranger led me out of the Police Department, I was more than happy to follow him. But when I watched his back as he strode to his Porsche 911 turbo, I saw the tenseness I hadn't noticed before, and knew he was royally pissed. Maybe not the best time to tell him what I'd just remember then, I thought, as the image of the pink plus sign swept through my mind again.

He drove in silence, but that wasn't unusual. He usually entered a Zen place when he drove. This wasn't it. He usually obeyed every traffic law and street speed, but as he made a hairpin 105 mile per hour illegal left turn, I knew that was out the window, as well. His . . . aura of just extreme anger rolled in waves through the car, and by the time we were slowing down and turning into the Rangeman garage, I was nearly trembling. I followed him down the hall to the elevator, even though I _really _didn't want to be in such a confined and small room with Ranger while he was in a state like this, and waited by the door when he stalked into the center of his seventh floor penthouse.

"Ranger . . ." I finally began, but he silenced me a single look.

"Babe. Don't even start. First, you nearly get half of my men killed in a reckless stunt that could have been avoided if you'd just _worn the fucking microphone_, then you _attack_ a man in public, and now he's _dead_, and you're wanted for murder. _Dammit! _Don't you ever _think_, Stephanie?" He stopped. He didn't have to say anymore.

"I'm pregnant. It's yours," I said, since it was all I _had_ to say. He froze all over again. And then he was moving. He stalked straight toward me. Grabbed my chin with two fingers and tilted my head up. His brown eyes met my blue ones. He arched a single brow.

And he whispered, "That's impossible, Babe. I had a vasectomy after Julie was born."

I scoffed. Mirrored his single arched brow. And whispered right back, "Impossible? Mr. Big Badass Mercenary, you should know better than that. Yes, the odds are not in favor of pregnancy, but it's not impossible. You're the only one I was with for just over a month before Hawaii, and I wasn't with Joe, or anyone else, for that matter, for a while afterwards. And I had a lapse in birth control. None of it was impossible." With that, I turned, and pressed the button on the elevator to go back down to the control room. "Don't worry." I added to his stunned disbelief by saying, "I'll get Tank to give me a ride home." Sometimes it was good to get the last word.


	2. Chapter 2: Oh, Baby!

Ranger's POV

2

Oh, Baby!

I watched Babe disappear into the elevator with a sinking feeling in my gut, but I maintained the cool façade years in the army had taught me. I knew anyone on the street could pass by me and not notice that I was ready to blow my top, but on the inside it was anyone's guess how long it took before I exploded like one of Steph's cars. I took a deep, even breath, and started to count backwards from 1,000. I had just received the news of my life, and I couldn't process it. My Babe was pregnant. _¡Mierda!_

Falling into the chair closest to me, I stared up at the ceiling, and wondered how my life had changed so drastically just by meeting one woman. One explosive, spitfire, blue-eyed, slightly insecure woman with a beast of a mother, a scary-as-hell grandmother, and a long past with an asshole of a cop.

Slowly, I looked around my apartment. Nothing had really changed, but since the day she'd found Rangeman, the entire building had lightened up considerably. Her presence was tangible in the walls and the fibers of the carpet, in the seams of the furniture and even the very air circulating through the rooms. _She_ was home, now. And she was pregnant. Damn. It all came back to that, now, didn't it?

Sighing, I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket, hit 3 on the speed dial, and waited. "What up, bossman?" Bobby asked when he answered.

"You're monitoring Stephanie's trackers, right?"

"Uh, yeah, boss. Why?"

"Keep 'em up tonight." I hung up. No goodbye.

The two weeks of Babe's bail passed, and I only saw her once in a tense moment at the bonds office. Lula, the frightening former 'ho who had attached herself to Babe, simply shook her head at me, and Connie seemed confused by the action. I heard word through the grape vine that Vinnie was glad Babe wasn't going to skip because of just _how _high her bail was. I didn't take into account the fact that Babe was a genius in disguise. I didn't understand that she had been planning something the entire time everyone was waiting for her court date. And I certainly didn't know she knew how to go off the grid as completely as I did, regular as clockwork.

**Sorry it's so short, but I'm still getting in the hang of this, and I'm posting my prewritten seven "chapters" this first night. - Kitty**


	3. Chapter 3: Into the Night

Stephanie's POV

3

Into the Night

The plan was set. The time was right. It was the night before my court date, and still every little breath of air from the room where my ex-husband died screamed that I had killed him. Yes, I felt warm and fuzzy all over at the prospect of The Dick being dead, but I was innocent. And a lot smarter than Morelli: I didn't leave right away.

I grabbed my purse off of the counter in my kitchen, and carried it to my bedroom. I dumped its contents out onto the bed, and picked out each and every one of the seven bugs that were feeding information to the Rangeman control room. Then, I grabbed the electronic items, just my cell phone - since I didn't have anything else that could be tapped - and placed them on my bedside table, right beside my alarm clock, which was set for two hours before when I had to be to court. I smiled to myself. That little tidbit would keep them guessing for awhile, if they were smart enough to notice it. And every moment they pondered my alarm clock, was a precious moment farther back on my trail they fell. I almost giggled, but then remembered the active bugs on my bed.

I would concede Ranger one thing. His habit of wearing all black had an obvious perk: it was very easy to get lost in the night. And that was exactly what I was after. I didn't know if any Rangeman employees would be watching for me, and worse, I didn't know what I'd say if there was and they caught me. But I wasn't going down without a fight. I hadn't killed my ex-husband, no matter how happy the thought of it made me, and I wouldn't go down for his murder. And if Ranger was mad I had gotten past his security experts. . . . Well. He could kiss my butt.

I quickly changed into a Rangeman tee, left over from the days when I had worked for Ranger, and slid on a black jacket. I pulled on some black yoga pants, and the knee high black converse sneaker-boots that while I knew had amused my friends immensely when I bought them, were my best chance at getting out and to my goal quietly and efficiently. I grabbed my small clutch, about the size of a wallet and holding only my driver's license and one hundred and thirty-five dollars. I stuffed the clutch into the pocket of my jacket, which I immediately zipped up, and then eased feet first out my fire escape. Everything seemed important in this moment. Every excruciating detail, every movement in my peripheral vision and every shape in the distance. My feet eased onto the metallic floor of the first landing. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. If anything was to go horribly wrong with my plan, now was the time. Just a few minutes - no, seconds later, I was on the last of the ladders, and dangling about a foot about the cement. It was a soft landing.

And then it was just a matter of running.

I positively hated running. Ranger had only managed to drag me out to run a few times, but he'd never seen me as determined as I was now. My converse boot clad feet hit the sidewalk with a soft and rhythmic, _thud _. . . _thud . . . thud. . . . _For half a mile, I ran down the streets, not stopping until I'd come across what I was after.

Goldenrich was a street in the 'Burg area that was as completely different from the 'Burg as it could be while still being the same town. People didn't like to gossip, they were more concerned with their own business to care about anyone else's brats, and that was why I knew it was the perfect place to saunter up to the pay phone, insert two quarters, and enter a Vegas cell number.

"Frost, it's time. . . ."

Frost, whose real name was Alex Frost, was a Navy Seal on leave when I met him in my second year of college. He had gotten drunk, his girlfriend dumped him, and I lent him a place to crash while bunking in the bed on the other side of the room with my roommate, Amana Cruz. Frost was a golden boy: blond hair, blue eyes, slight southern accent, perfect, gentlemanly manners, and I had developed the habit of calling him Superman long before I met Ranger. Ana was a five foot one inch tall Asian-slash-Hawaiian girl majoring in playing the obo and speaking French, with neon red hair. And our friend Wolf was a short kid with not a whole lot of brains but a heart of gold and an endless supply of weed. All together we were the wackiest group on campus, and we all felt sad every time we had to say goodbye to Frost when he returned to the Navy.

Now, the four of us were crowded together in the same sunshine yellow Volkswagen Bug Ana had had since high school. Alex was in the back seat with me, Ana driving, and Wolf was complaining in an endless stream about how my feet smelled terrible, since they were propped up on either side of his chair. The bug crawls southwest of Trenton, and when we were finally passing the outskirts of town, I looked over my shoulder to watch the rest of the lights from the city I'd grown up in, fade out behind the horizon as dawn blushed across the sky in an endless expanse of hope.

Hoisting one finger up into the air in a classic 'battle roar' position, I shouted, "Onward, faithful servants! We'll be there is no time!"

And while Frost hit me over the back of the head for the whole, 'faithful servants' spiel, he muttered under his breath, "Especially if Ana drives the entire time."

And so my friends and I rode off into the sunset. And I was blissfully unaware of the panic already sweeping through not only the 'Burg, but the whole of Trenton thanks to the Merry Men, and their not so merry boss.


	4. Chapter 4: Words of Advice

Ranger's POV

4

Words of Advice

I strode through the doors of the bond's office at first light of dawn because, as Connie had said, it was an "emergency." For whatever reason, she had informed me that she would not hand over my pile of FTAs today, unless it was to me, personally. Meeting my gaze solemnly, she handed over the damn pile without so much as batting an eye, and said, "You'll want to look them over, now, I think." I stared at her long and hard for a moment in irritation, and then went through the files.

Serial rapist, Stephen Dwain. . . . First degree murder, Stephanie Plum. . . . Animal cru- wait, what the fuck? I quickly switched back to the second file in my stack, and realized that I _would_ have to chase Babe down, apparently. Wait . . . I eyed the clock for a moment, then smirked, and met Connie's gaze. "Easy. She's still sleeping. It's still six in the morning." But was mildly surprised when she shook her head.

"Huh-uh. Lula already went over there - in fact, she's on her way back, right now. No offense, but if she was just sleeping, we wouldn't have handed out the file. Nope. She's gone. And out of town, I'd bet. Her car's there in the driveway but there's a pile of bugs on her bed and her tapped phone is just sitting on her table," Connie explained. Then, cocking her head, she seemed to consider me for a moment. "Good luck," she offered finally, as if she thought it was completely inadequate.

Just as I was leaving, Lula's car pulled up. I paused, then decided to make my way to her. I ducked down to speak to her through the passenger side window. "Our girl ain't home, Batman. Her car was out front, your little safety bug crap things were just layin' on her bed, and the window was open. Please. Just bring her back." She got out without saying anything else, and hurried into the office. I stared in confusion. That was it. "Bring her back." It was like they thought she was hurt, or something.

The idea immediately stabbed a hole through my heart, tearing it slowly and leaving it mangled. No one at Rangeman would have any idea where she was, so then . . . I decided there was only one person who could help me, now.

Joseph Morelli obviously wasn't expecting me at his door at six in the morning; that was for sure. Whatever he may have expected, I wasn't it. He was completely blindsided. "What do you want, Manoso?" He snarled, low under his breath.

I caught him off guard again when I replied, "To bring Stephanie back," and help up her file.

"What are you: an idiot? She's obviously still sleeping," he clipped out, and started to close the door when my words stopped him.

"No, she's gone. Lula already checked her house, and she's removed all of the bugs that feed her location to Rangeman. Her car's sitting out front and, apparently, her window was open."

He stopped. Stared at me. Then he opened the door again, to meet my gaze straight on. "You need my help." It wasn't a question. Still, I nodded. He paused, and then said, "She's got friends in Oregon, I think. From college; and she would probably trust them enough to stay with them when times get rough. But I wouldn't put any real money on that until I spoke to her parents."

I nodded. It wasn't enough to lead me to her. But it might help lead me in the right direction. I had just turned around when I heard Joe clear his throat. I glanced over my shoulder at the one person I truly hated.

"It's up to heaven and hell when she comes back, ya know. Let me explain something to you, give ya the lowdown. There's a reason people are going to be all weepy over her disappearing, and begging you to bring her back. And that's because she can hide. Good. And As much as I hate this job of hers, it's taught her one thing. How to hide. Better than she already can, I mean. She's always been intuitive. She's always seen what makes people crack, and what people miss. She'll use any weakness of yours she found over the years against you. The faintest little give-away of anything that could make this _exponentially_ more difficult on you . . . she's seen it . . . she'll use it. And eventually, it will become a win or lose thing for her. You have to view this as a hide and seek game with a child, because that's how she'll see it. Look, I don't like you, Ranger. Not at all. But you're the best at this. At finding people. Well, she's the best at hiding. May the flat out best, win." And with that, Morelli slammed the door closed.

Tank, Bobby, and Cal were in the control room when I got back to Rangeman. They were watching Lester pulverize Vince in the sparring room, and laughing. The instant I stepped through the door, though, they all glanced up at me. Apparently, I wasn't on the top of my game today. Instantly Tank was ready for action, asking, "Who are you after first?" I stared at him for a minute.

Holding out the file, I replied, "I'm going to her parent's house first, to see if they have any leads. If they do, we'll follow those. Either way, we're going to have to bring the cop along, this time." Tank was shocked when he opened up the file to a picture of Babe; he couldn't hide it. Then he glanced up.

"Who's the team?" That was it. No insignificant questions; straight to the point.

"You three, obviously, and Lester and Hal." They all nodded. And took a collective breath. Babe might think she was in the wind. But she wasn't going to stay that way for long.


	5. Chapter 5: Gambling, Drugs, and Dancing

Stephanie's POV

5

Gambling, Drugs, and Stripper Heels

One _looong _night of riding in a car driven by my old friends and we were at an airport in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. We had a flight to Vegas booked for in the morning, and I was jumping out of my toes. Don't get me wrong, my buddies were from Vegas; they had me covered. As far as anyone was concerned, Stephanie Plum had never seen the run-down airport in the semi-important town in sorta-north-east Pennsylvania. Instead, the tired, curly brunette haired, big blue eyed Missy Lynn had passed through with a short, pixie like girl who spoke with a French accent and had a shaggy, neon red bob with black lowlights and choppy bangs, just moments before meeting up with a golden haired, blue eyed line backer and his friends, the worn out, dark haired older man who might as well be all their fathers he just looked so old and fragile.

Under my breath, I whispered to the old man who was actually a 33 year old cop, "Jeez, Wolf. You're letting yourself go!" And laughed when he gave me an incredulous look.

The ticket salesman, too, didn't seem to be on top of the game. He only said, "Round or one way?" when Ana asked for four tickets to Vegas. She cocked a brow - only one, damn her! - and replied, "Dude, you serious? It's Vegas!" and the salesman snorted, and passed out our one way tickets to the world of gambling, drugs, and stripper heels.

I shifted uncomfortably on the floor of our hotel room, and stared at a stain in the carpet a few feet in front of me that I was pretty sure was blood.

"Dude! Stop twitchin'!" Ana ordered. She flashed over to me in a blur of neon red hair and honey glazed skin because she was just so small and she could move fast enough that that was all I saw.

The fact that I was paranoid as hell and about to say to hell with it and down the rest of the Jack Daniels probably helped her, too.

"You really do need to chill, Princess," Frost spoke up from where I'd thought he'd been sleeping in one of the two beds - the one farther away from the door. I sighed.

"And, Captain Calm, how the hell should I 'chill?' I mean, I'm going to get arrested for killing my ex-husband, even though I didn't do it! And that doesn't seem like a valid reason to freak to you?"

"Meditate," was all he said. And he rolled over, and fell right asleep. Damn military men. "Thanks, Superman," I replied, my voice dripping sarcasm.

"Mm. Welcome." He cuddled down a little closer to the pillow wrapped up in his arms. I rolled my eyes.

But after a short while, I found that following Ana's deep breathing exercise really did help, and I fell asleep peacefully on the bloodstained carpet in a dilapidated hotel the night before I would board a plain that would take me and my friends far away from the messy world my life had become.

Hopefully, for a very long time.


	6. Chapter 6: Rum, War, and Poker

Ranger's POV

6

Rum, War, and Poker

Mrs. Plum was an exceptional woman. And by that, I meant, _"Get me the fuck out of here; this woman's crazy!" _She leveled me a glare the instant I showed up on her porch, which just so happened to be _after _she was already waiting there for me. Jeez; Babe grew up around that and thought _I _had ESP?

I questioned her about anywhere she thought her daughter might be, and about the "friends in Oregon" thing, but all I got was that she thought Babe might be with some old friends from college, and that, last she'd heard, they'd left Oregon. The most important piece I got, though ,was that she thought they'd left for Vegas, where they'd all met when they were in college. I could contact one those friends at the number she'd given me.

Leaving Stephanie's childhood home, I glanced at the garage she'd jumped off of when she was seven, and remembered when she'd laughingly told me the story a few months ago. I couldn't believe I was even willing to think it, but the thought that if I didn't find her right away, she'd never teasingly tell me anything again scared me.

By the time I got back to Rangeman, I'd formulated a plan. I ordered the Bomber team, named specifically for Stephanie's Rangeman nickname, to be down in the lobby in ten minutes. They were there right on time.

"All right, guys. I got the big break," I said, to the combined cheers of Tank, Lester, Bobby, Cal and Hal, and felt a feral almost-smile touch my lips. I was thinking of this as a hide and seek game just like the cop had suggested, but what he didn't know was that Hide and Seek for me was basically a man-hunt. "The cop told me she has friends from college who regularly visit her and are probably who she's staying with. When I spoke with Stephanie's mother, she confirmed this, adding that those friends' last known location was Vegas, where they'd apparently all met in college." I paused, remembering Babe's mother's descriptions of them.

"She told me the most likely aids are Amana Cruz, Franklin Rauwolf, and someone she knows only as Frost. Oh, and ready for the best part?" I questioned, meeting each of their gazes in turn. They all nodded. "Frost's Special Forces. Navy Seal. And she's gone to him for protection before." They all met each other's gazes, not understanding the importance of this fact. I sighed. I wouldn't press the issue.

"So far, we've been unable to track her, but the good news is that we may be able to track the credit card, cell phone, bank, and e-mail activity of those I've just mentioned. We're going to find her, guys. And the real search starts tomorrow." I looked at them, the people I'd put my life on the line to protect and serve with time and time again, and grinned.

"Pack your bags, soldiers. We're going to Vegas!"

I turned to head back up the stairs, listening to their quiet and indiscernible chatter, and I had just opened the door when I heard Lester make the first comment loud enough and clear enough to be understood from the five feet away I had made it. I chuckled to myself and replayed the remark as I jogged up the seven flights of steps to my apartment.

"Sure, but Vegas might _as well_ be a mission in some third world country. They revolve around the same basics: rum, war, and poker."


	7. Chapter 7: The Cure

Stephanie's POV

7

The Cure

I had the mother of all hangovers. I've always been a light drinker, but I'd never known two Painkillers could make me so drunk I'd literally be falling on my ass. On top of that, Ana, Wolf, and Frost didn't do much to discourage me, I vaguely remembered, having only the feeling of a memory, and the phrase, "Damn, girl, you need to lighten up. This is Vegas; if you wanna have some fun, no one will hold it against you - or even remember it in the morning!" stuck in my head. But _I _was definitely going to remember last night. Or, at least, the parts of last night I _could _remember, I always would. And glancing over at my company, I figured so would the coyote ugly man in my bed, as well.

Getting out of bed was one of the hardest things I'd ever done, and I cussed the entire time. Or, I would have, if it wasn't so painful.

I stumbled out of the bedroom I'd placed all my things in the day before, and padded into the kitchen, moaning. I dropped my head down onto the counter, ignoring the awkward position, and wishing the dwarf that had taken up residence in my head would go mine for jewels elsewhere. Disney didn't have much a place in my life at the moment. Ana groaned from where she was curled up in a fetal position, face down on a pillow, one arm wrapped around her stomach, the other thrown over the back of her head. We both lifted our heads meagerly when the door eased open, but dropped them back when we were assured it was just Superman, and not some psycho. Frost chuckled from where he stood in the doorway.

"Don't worry, I don't have a mega-phone this time," He said, far too fucking cheerful for god knows what hour, _and_ I still felt like shit.

Ana hoisted a gun at him, and even though her aim was terribly off, I still hoped she'd shoot him. Then he added, "I brought The Cure!" and I liked him again.

When I first met Alexander Frost, my very first superhero, in my third quarter of my second year of college, I was sitting in the center of an area in the back of the college campus that usually had a very Zen feel, cussing myself out and worrying about quarter's end exams. He had been in the Navy Seals for three years, and directed me through the projects like a dream, without really doing a thing. He was ripped, extremely intelligent, and while he reminded me more of Kryptonite for all his dog-like happiness, I immediately began calling him Superman. The Cure was something he had given to me early on in our friendship, an intangible gift of sorts that made me realized he would be one of those people I always returned to. I can still remember the exact conversation we had, jewel digging elf in my brain aside.

_We had been snuggled up in my warm bed, sharing our thoughts on the world, and being pretty damn philosophical for so early in the morning, and especially with such terribly headaches. We hadn't done anything, just slept side by side, but it created a comrade that I quickly chucked out the window when he finally threw the off blankets and pulled me out the door. "Why?" I shrieked, not wanting to do anything but swallow a whole container of Tylenol and sleep for a week._

_"Relax, Princess. I'm taking you to get The Cure."_

_"The what, now?" I gasped._

_"You know, The Cure. All us superheroes grab it when we spend too long partying with you mere mortals." He explained, and then, laughing, added, "It was something one of my friends in the navy showed me when we'd gotten drunk off our asses one night and were way too royally hammered to make role call the next morning. Trust me, Princess, you definitely don't want to know what it's like to have your CO yelling at you at five in the morning with a raging hangover. So, we came up with The Cure. Well, my buddy did. Works like a charm in a few hours."_

_"Ok. . . ." I moaned, wanted nothing more than for him to shut the hell up. "So what is this 'Cure?'"_

_He grinned. "Watch and wait, Princess. I know it's not your strong suit, but watch and wait."_

_He went to McDonalds, of all places. Ordered two fries, and two cokes, and we sat on the hood of his car in silence, just two people becoming friends without really needing to get to know each other, because we already did, on some level. If he didn't remind me so much of a puppy dog, or a big brother, I would have married him at that moment, sitting on the hood of his car, drinking soda and eating fries, and watching the way the leaves made weird shadows on the ground._

__After eating the fries and slurping down the soda, and getting all philosophical again about the trees, Alex stood, and held his hand out to me_"That wasn't the entire Cure, Princess!" He laughed. "We're only getting started!"_

_It turned out, he'd hired his cousin Amana, who would quickly become another of my closest friends, to drive beside us at 20 miles per hour. Why? Because we would be running at that pace. For ten miles. And Ana was going to blow her whistle at me every time I fell behind; playing merry hell on my hangover. I didn't like him anymore._

_Sometime between when we'd gotten to my apartment to change, and when we got outside, the sky had turned a_ _pale_ _green color, and the wind was whipping at my hair so hard I could feel it pounding at my back like a rude visitor at my door. "Oh, well! Looks like we can't run today!" I started, and began to bounce backwards into my door, when Alex reached behind himself, and caught me by my elbow._

_"Frankly, Princess, I don't give a damn what the weathers like. Run." And so we did. We ran for ten miles, and the entire time he chattered beside me, eventually even getting me to wheeze out a few answers to all the questions he was asking. And then I realized that for all the talking, I could run easier, since it distracted me from the pain in my legs, and my head. And by the time we had gotten back to my apartment building, ten miles and 35 minutes later, I had more energy than ever before, even if sweat was pouring down my back, and dripping between my breasts. Alex seemed to enjoy that last part. Plucking my tee shirt away from my chest, he managed to sneak a quick glance before I pushed him away gently. "You know, you're much better company on a run than my buddies. . ." he started, and I burst into laughter._

_"Nice try, Superman. But no cigar." _

_As I was walking up the steps, I heard Alex, now Superman, mutter under his breath, "It wasn't a cigar I was after, Princess."_


	8. Chapter 8: Always a Messy Apartment

Ranger's POV

8

Always a Messy Apartment

The first step was to go through her apartment. Stephanie had left all her clothes in her closet, and true to Lula's word, her car sat out front while the bugs lay on her bed, useless, and her phone was on the bedside table. But the most puzzling part of it all was that her window above the fire escape was open. This must have been where she'd snuck out from. Turning to Lester, I demanded, "Find the bank activity for the past few days. Something this elaborate would take some planning." Lester automatically ran out the door to do as I asked. I paused, and then added, "And Tank? Find any calls outgoing to Vegas mobile numbers." With that, I turned away, and began going through her drawers. When I got to the second to bottom one, where I knew she kept a t-shirt of mine and a pair of boxers, I noticed the t-shirt was missing. I felt the corners of my lips twitch with the beginning of smug grin. I immediately quelled it, but on the inside, I rejoiced. _You want to keep me with you, Babe? I'll come find you; I promise. Then you won't have to settle for second best._

Suddenly my phone rang. It startled me, and only the rigid control I'd kept around me like a cage kept me from jumping a foot in the air. "Speak," I demanded.

"Bank activity reports Steph's been pulling a thousand dollars from her account since the day of her arrest. Fourteen grand could get her pretty far away, Bossman," Lester said dejectedly. I cursed inwardly. If she had been planning for two weeks, she might very well be beyond my reach already. I hung up, but no sooner had I shoved my phone back into my pocket than it began to ring again.

"Speak," I growled.

"There's only been one phone call to a Vegas mobile," Tank reported. "I have the conversation on record, but it doesn't do much."

"What's_ that_ suppose to mean?"

"Well, it's definitely Bomber, but all she says it, 'it's time,' and then the line dies," Tank sounded like he was contemplating the different supplies he'd need when I sent him to Siberia. I was considering one of the Galapagos Islands, too, or maybe Uzbekistan.

"Find the location of the mobile she contacted," I ordered, "Keep track of its GPS. Oh, and I want the number she called." I paused, and felt something I hadn't felt in years wash over me. I strode to the window, and looked out at the moon. I imagined Stephanie, beside me or on the other side of world, looking up into the sky and seeing the same luminous orb surrounded by a sea of darkness. I only had one thought.

_Eight letters. Three words. One regret. I miss you. And Babe, I'm gonna find you._


	9. Chapter 9: To Save a Life

Stephanie's POV

9

To Save a Life

I was sitting on the couch in an unfamiliar apartment listening to a hung over version of Au Clair de Lune on an oboe, with Superman rubbing my feet. . . . Yeah, I could understand why some people might wonder as to the sanity of my life. Frost sighed and finally stood, dropping my feet to the ground and sitting down beside me. He slung an arm over my shoulder and asked, "Alright, Princess, what's got ya cryin?" I hesitated. Did I really want to tell him that I was having a batbaby? _Besides that_, a voice niggled in the back of my mind, _you might have killed him or her with all the drinking last night_. _You're a terrible mother! _But, I realized, they'd have to be prepared.

"Get Ana and Wolf here, too," I murmured.

After a short phone call, and a ten minute wait, the four of us were crowded around the dining room table in Ana's apartment. Taking a deep breath, I began.

"Five years ago, I was laid off from my job at E.E. Martin," I started, but was interrupted.

"The lingerie place," Wolf asked. I gave a curt nod.

"As I was saying; five years ago, I was laid off. I did odd jobs for a couple of months, but it wasn't working. I had to get a real job. My mother was telling me to apply at the button factory, or some other place like that. But then I was told my cousin, Vinnie-" I was interrupted with the grumbled opinions my friends held of my cousin, none of them pleasant. I pushed forward. "I was told Vinnie needed someone to do filing at his office. I looked around at the others for a moment, before smiling wryly at Frost. "He owns a bonds office." Frost, understanding where this was going, tilted his head back and let out a sharp bark of laughter; he was a bounty hunter himself, which I found incredibly ironic nowadays.

"Anyway, when I got there," I continued, "I was told he'd already found someone to do the filing, but offered to let me do skip tracing." I grimaced. "The first person I was sent after was Joe Morelli." Ana interrupted me, this time.

"You mean, that asshole who got what he wanted and left when you were sixteen?" She asked. Again, I gave a curt nod.

Frost spoke up. "You could've stayed with me."

I snorted and replied, "No way. You're worse than Lester; you would demand some sort of depraved sex act." Shaking my head, I continued.

"There was _obviously _no way I was going to be able to catch him, though, on my own. So Connie called in a favor from Ranger-"

"Who the hell is Ranger?" Frost asked.

"Carlos Manoso. Former Special Forces, like you, Frost. As kick ass as Rambo and as sane as Batman." He shook his head. I huffed.

"_Anyway_," I shot them all a look that blatantly screamed _shut up! _"He met me in a diner, and eventually agreed to help me out. Long story short, over the years he's sorta become as much a best friend to me as you guys are. And now I have to hide from him."

When it seemed like I wasn't going to say anymore, Frost finally asked, "Why?" Short, sweet, to the point, and that unfortunately reminded me even more of Ranger.

"Because I'm FTA. I was arrested two weeks ago for the murder of my ex-husband. And as warm and cuddly as that make me feel, I didn't do it." I'm sure an expression of regret and longing was written all over my face. Frost and Ana were laughing their asses off; Wolf just looked sick.

"So you want us to hide you, Princess?" Frost finally asked. I nodded, this time gratefully.

"Done," they all said, simultaneously.

"So, was that all?" Frost asked me hesitantly.

"No," I sighed. "I'm pregnant."


	10. Chapter 10: Superman VS Batman

Ranger's POV

10

Batman VS Superman

The phone call came as I was pulling out of the apartment complex's parking lot. I hissed in irritation. "This better be good news," I muttered, before pressing the phone to my ear. "Speak."

"The number you passed on to us from Steph's mother matches the number reached from the pay phone on Goldenrich. That mobile's out of commission, now, though," Tank reported. I hissed and was just about to hang up when he added, "It gets better."

"How?"

"The number belongs to Alex Frost, former Navy Seal and, check this, current Bond Enforcement Agent. Works for a nondescript office in Vegas run by Kim Soto, who has a single name alias of September." _Click._ He hung up. I stared at the phone for a moment in shock, before muttering irritably that he was _so _going to Uzbekistan.

I exhaled loudly through my nose before driving to the airport. I wasn't going to wait another minute.

The flight was hell. I'd been through worse, of course, but it was still hell. Because we'd chosen to fly business, so as not to alert the Seal, Tank needed to sit in his own _row_. Bobby and Lester were both sitting in their rows - right between two girls. Cal and Hal, on the other hand, sat on either side of one woman who looked like she own fifty cats and seemed addicted to making Hal blush. After we landed, the terminal was crazy, and Tank was detained for carrying his Uzi, the idiot. After everything was sorted out, it was too late to even attempt to walk into September's, but we did check into our hotel, which had a casino on the ground floor. Hal, Tank, and I retired early, but Bobby and Lester didn't show up in their respective rooms until three the next morning. If this was any indication of how the rest of our time in Vegas would go, I was sorely going to miss the blown up cars and fire bombed apartments.

Before I fell asleep, I called the number Steph had called during her great escape. Five times, actually. And I was surprised when I actually got an answer on the last time.

"You must be Ranger," the amused voice on the other end of the line greeted.

"I am," I agreed. "Are you Alex Frost?"

The laughter that burst forth nearly shook _my_ phone. "That's not nearly as impressive, Ranger. But yes, I am Alex Frost. I assume you're looking for someone?"

"Where is she?"

"She? I'm afraid you'll have to elaborate. Otherwise, I could misunderstand you, and think that my dear cousin Amana is the _she _you refer to," He was fuckin with me.

"You _know_ who I'm talking about! Where. Is. Stephanie?"

"Stephanie, you say? Well, that's quite a common name, Ranger. Perhaps you should elaborate further."

"I'm talking about my Babe, Stephanie Plum, who I met in a diner five years ago and fell in love with!" I finally exclaimed. Then I realized what I'd said. Oh shit. He did _not_ need to know what I felt about my Babe. Not before she did, at least.

He was quiet for a long moment, but then said, finally, "Thank you."

"Huh?"

"I said, thank you. That was all I needed to hear. See, Steph's got some _friends _that are pretty pissed with her. As in, they've wanted her to be gone, out of the picture, _poof_, for a while now. I just had to be sure it was really you," he paused, and then added, "We'll meet you at Winchell's Pub on Simmons at 8 tomorrow morning. Until then." He hung up. I stared at the phone in bemusement. The fuck? No one ever hung up on me before this shit went down, but now that Steph's on the loose everyone thinks they can fuckin hang up on me. I sighed and chucked my shirt off.

That night I dreamt of Steph, her stomach swollen with my baby. I used to shudder at the thought of getting married and having kids. With Steph pregnant, I finally realized how different I felt about the subject now. At least, I felt different with the right woman.

Winchell's was a pale brown building with palm trees to the right. Palm trees. I certainly didn't understand the appeal this place had, but, oh well. I scanned the room the instant I stepped through the doors, Tank and Cal on my flanks, but couldn't find Steph for a minute. When I finally did, I strode towards the large table in the corner where she sat with man muscled enough to make Tank look scrawny, and a short, pixie-ish woman with neon red hair. Obviously the Seal hadn't wanted to stay behind, but I didn't have any idea who the redhead was. Then I noticed the Seal had an arm throw over Steph's shoulders.

When I was standing over the table, Steph looked up at me and smirked. "You found me. Damn." Then she shrugged. The Seal watched her with a smile.

"You going to introduce us, Princess?" He asked. _Princess?_ I thought. _Does this guy not know her at all?_

"Sure," she replied. She gestured first to the man beside her, then to me.

"Superman, this is Batman."


	11. Chapter 11: Holy Sht, Batman!

_**(A/N: Ok, so this is pretty short, but it's mostly the set up of the biggest part of the plot I've gotten so far. I pulling this out of my ass as I go along, but, doesn't that just make the spontaneous stuff all the more fun? Anyway, thanks for reading, and thanks for the reviews. **_**Diligunt te, populo!)**

Ranger's POV

11

Holy Shit, Batman!

I eyed "Superman" for a minute, wondering how I should start this. I didn't get very far, though, when he started in.

"I hope you realize that she's actually very gifted with hiding. In fact, I was shocked to hear from her when she first called me a few days ago. You know, when she was 19 she got so fed up with the 'Burg that she ran away? Took her father two years to find her, even with her calling in every other day, _and_ that was only after she'd purposely mentioned the name of a store that was only in the state she'd sort of grown some roots in." He paused, and looked me over. I'd been assessed before. In battle, hand-to-hand combat, but I'd never felt so much like a slab of meat as I did when Alex Frost was watching my every breath. Finally, he spoke again, "So, I propose we have a little game."

"Game?" I snarled. I had just re-found the love of my life and he - wait. Hold the fuck up_. Love of my life? _Well, yeah. I realize. I did love Stephanie. _Dios mio, _this was getting complicated.

"Yes, game," Alex stated. "Hide 'n Seek, to be exact. She hides, you seek. But only you, Ranger, and against only her." He stopped, and then looked at Stephanie. "You wanna?" She grinned. It was a feral smile I had never seen on her face before, but suddenly I realized something. If what I'd heard was true - that she really was the best at hiding - she might get the same rush from eluding a hunter that I got from tracking down prey.

"Sure." Stephanie said. "I haven't played in a while." Then she looked me in the eye, and I saw _very_ little of the Stephanie I knew. A slow, devilish smirk touched one side of her lips, and her eyes were wicked, superior. Like, even though she was still sitting down, and staring up at me, she thought my skills as a predator were so inferior I wasn't fit kiss her tracks. I suddenly wanted this. The thrill of actually hunting Stephanie down and, if I was honest, forcing her to submit, like the animal I was. Definitely to admit I was a better at pursuing than she was at keeping cover. I smiled, and took her hand. Kissing her knuckle, I met her mischievous gaze with my own nefarious one.

"Let the games begin."

"The _hell_, Ranger? Are you _insane_? What if they're right, huh? What if you never find her again?" Tank started in on me the instant we got back to the hotel. I merely lifted my hand.

"I need to see what she's capable of, Tank. I need to know what sorts of connections she has. And she agreed to not leave the country. No one else will come after her. And I'm certain I'll be able to find her." I gave him my most feral grin, and headed up the stairs to my room, hoping beyond all hope I was right.


	12. Chapter 12: KaBoom!

_**(A/N: I never thought I would be researching The Justice League. I mean, personally, I'm more of a fan of Teen Titans. But, hey. It turned out to be pretty cool (considering Titans was **_**based off it, _Kitty!) and now I know more about Superman than I ever wanted to. Thank you, Wikipedia! Diligunt te, populo!)_**

Stephanie's POV

12

Ka-Boom!

I had been sitting in the same seat, on the same bus, for nearly three hours. The instant we had left Winchell's, Frost had set me up with nearly half a million dollars that I _swear _he didn't have on him before, and told me if I didn't take it, he'd throw me under a bus. As much as I wished I could carry him, my very first superhero, with me, I knew he had a grounded life in Vegas with Ana and Wolf, and I wasn't willing to tear that apart. So with a tear streaked face and a heavy heart, I started walking. Ranger and I hadn't spoken about it, but I knew just getting out of town would be difficult, if he had Rangeman employees like Tank and Cal watching over me. Oh, they wouldn't track me, but they'd let Ranger know where I was. Taking a deep breath, I was suddenly overcome with gratefulness toward my "Spidey Senses." If Ranger was anywhere near, I would know.

I had shelled out enough cash to get a couple towns east, but I couldn't stay on the same route for very long, or they'd surely be able to catch me. I rode the I-15 to Cortez, Colorado, and from there I quickly left to Denver. All that bus riding was hell on my bum, and somehow it managed to take a full day and a half, but by the time I reached Denver, I knew it'd been worth it.

I didn't talk about it often, and never with Joe or Ranger - come to think of it, I hadn't spoken of it in nearly ten years - but I had a lot of Army Brat friends from the days I spent at base, waiting for my father to come home when I was a little kid. Some of them had grown up to follow in their fathers' footsteps, like my friend Doc; but others, like the woman who was about to find me on her doorstep, had chosen to settle in, finally, after many years of relocation for their fathers' job. I wasn't so sure Vix would be glad to see me, though. Considering last time I saw her, I nearly got her killed. I shouldn't have been worried.

The sky was still a mix of bright, _bright _blue and cotton candy pink when I rang the doorbell on the cliché yellow house with a perfect garden out front. When the door opened to a sleepy, dark haired, dark skinned, dark eyed, lady who was still in her pink, silky pajama shorts and pristine, white sleep shirt, I was enveloped in the familiar scent of cinnamon, cigarette smoke, and Green Apple shampoo. "Do you know what _time_ it is?" She moaned unhappily, but she was kind about it.

'Six in the morning, Vix, and I'm not happy about it, either. But I need your help." At the sound of my voice, Vix dropped her hand from where it had been rubbing sleep out of her eye, and her dark chocolate gaze -the same color as her hair - met my own. She shrieked, and jumped out to hug me. Then she pulled back, and grabbed me by my cheeks, old lady style. "Black Canary?" I wrinkled my nose.

"Vixen?"

She burst out laughing, and then threw her arms around me again. "I thought that- well, I didn't know what to think! No one's called me that in forever! Not since . . ." she trailed off, but I knew she was remembering our times running around, stealing the General's hat and getting into mischief at the base, just as I had before ringing the bell. "Anyway! You said you needed help?" She inquired as she ushered me into the cozy-as-a-fireplace-shag-rug living room I hadn't stepped foot in for twelve years.

"Yeah. See, I got into some trouble a few weeks ago, and I was staying with Superman and his peeps, but . . . Basically, Batman's been mentoring me for a while in- "

"We never _had_ a Batman," Vix cut in with a frown. I grinned.

"Yeah, well, I _met_ Batman after I got laid off from E.E. Martin. He's former Special Forces, just like our Daddies. He owed the desk lady at the job I'd just gotten hired onto a favor, and so he trained me - sorta - so I wouldn't fall on my ass and get trampled." I smiled softly. Vix was glowing in approval and happiness. I knew I hadn't seen her in nearly two months, but she was always the one I counted on most. Plus, well, she was very loyal to our own make-shift Justice League we'd made. Somehow, amidst all the school madness, all of us had managed to keep in touch. We still met at least twice a year. It was great to see them all. But at the moment, I was just happy to see Vix.

"So . . . what _do _you do, now?" She questioned, and I burst out laughing.

"I'm . . . sorry! . . . Not laugh . . . ing . . . at you!" I managed between fits of giggles. When I'd calmed down, I explained, "I'm sort of a local celebrity, and it's a running joke that Homeland Security obviously _had _to know about me since I'm such a wreck. But, I'm a bounty hunter. The Bombshell Bounty Hunter."

"Oh . . ." Vix started, "We _do _know about you . . ." She trailed off, and just as my eyes were widening in shock, she snorted. "Just messin' with ya, Airy. So why ya so popular?"

"Umm . . . things go boom around me. A lot."

"So, in other words, nothing's changed?"

We dissolved into giggles, and I knew at least one member of my childhood Justice League would be there for me, no matter what. I could only hope for as much from Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Hawkgirl.


	13. Chapter 13: Blast From the Past

Ranger's POV

13

Blast from the Past

I'd never thought to place a bug on her when she left. I didn't think to tell one of my men to watch her. And now all I know is that she's headed for the bus station. How am I suppose to find her if she's already gone? And how am I gonna play the big badass bounty hunter if I can't even find a goddamn little girl? But then there was a knock on the door.

I frowned. She had fiery, golden red hair and the biggest brown eyes I'd ever seen. She was tiny, and dressed in a gold colored cotton sundress. I also didn't know her from Adam. "I'm sorry. Do you have the wrong door?" I asked her.

She smiled. "That depends. Are you Carlos Manoso?"

"Yes. . ."

She stuck her hand out to me. "Hawkgirl. At least, to Stephanie and the rest, I am. I hear you gonna need help." She cocked her head.

I stared at her for a long moment, not speaking. Finally, all I said was, "Hawkgirl? Care to explain?" A jubilant grin spread across her face.

"I met Steph and the rest on base when I was six. We were all Army Brats, and, we were all waiting for our fathers to come home. I'm not sure how it all started, exactly, but when I met Steph, she was running around with two other little boys and two other girls. We followed one of the guys lead and called ourselves the Justice League, ya know? That's where Steph developed her obsession with it." She paused, then cocked her head. "I hear she calls you Batman." She waited for my nod, then continued. "Cool. We never had Batman before. Oh, we had Superman - Alex, who you've already met - and we had Hawkgirl - me - but we also had Aquaman, and Wonder Woman, and Vixen, and Steph herself was Airy - Black Canary. And likely, Airy's hiding out with one of the J-League's members. If I had to wager a guess, I'd say Aqua, but, ya know, she did come to Supe first, so, anything's possible." She smiled kindly.

"Why are you doing this?" I queried once I could finally manage to speak again. She cocked her head to the other side, stared up at the crack where wall met ceiling above the threshold of my door, and finally answered.

"Airy needs to know that we care about her enough to keep track of her. We all have connections you wouldn't understand, Ranger - since that seems to be what you prefer - even Airy can call in military official you haven't even a high enough clearance to _meet_. I want her to know that we're not going to let her live her life like a rat in a maze with a cage over top. She'll be free. No matter what I have to do." She finally met my gaze dead on. "All we have to do is wait for Wonder and Aqua. Vix is unavailable, Supe's on Airy's side, and it's unlikely any of the J-League outside of our closer knit group is going to be able to come out for this." She grinned. "Just you and me for now, though, Batman!" She pushed past me into my apartment, and pulled off her high heels before plunking onto my bed. "So . . . what do you do for fun?"


	14. Chapter 14: Teen Titans, Go!

_**(A/N: Ok, I know it seems like I'm just adding characters willy-nilly (so says the friend who "edits" this -that means she reads it over and does nothing else.) but honestly, Ranger and the Bomber Squad, aided by Hawkgirl, is one team, and they're opposing Stephanie, Vix, Superman, and the demonic empath I introduce here. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews ~ Kitty)**_

Stephanie's POV

14

Teen Titans, Go!

My face paled as Vix and I left the bus station. We'd checked out all the places I could get to that would have a reasonable number of exits and connections, but there weren't a lot, and Vix seemed determined not to leave me, just in case I met someone who might turn me over to Ranger and Hawkgirl, who, I'd found out from Frost, were now working together to tear up the entire country. Then I looked across the street as Vix and I tried to hurry back to her apartment, and I saw the one creep I had never been happier to see. Raven. Raven was a sweet girl, but she had a suppressed childhood as a ward of a cult of monks in New Mexico, which she swears up and down wasn't that awkward, but it just seems so weird. Anyway, she barely feels emotions, but she can read them off other peoples' faces so easily it's like she can read minds, and it's almost like you _have _to feel what she's feeling. She fits the mold of the Titan from both the comics and TV series so well that it would have been criminal not to call her by the demonic empath's name. So that's what we did. And even if Ranger says ESP doesn't exist, she definitely has it.

I know, because she's headed our way.

Raven even looks like the teenage girl from the cartoon on TV. Her hair is blue-ish violet and cut in a bob, her eyes bright blue, and her skin is nearly the color of a corpse. We don't know how she looks the way she looks, but I'm not surprised to see her in a navy blue sweatshirt, the hood down, and a pair of short, dark blue jean shorts. She met my gaze, and a thousand memories filled my mind. One stood out above all the rest.

_We were nine years old, almost all of us, and were regularly getting into more trouble than usual. Well, Hawkgirl was. The rest of us blamed her for anything we did. She seemed to enjoy having a trouble-maker's reputation with all the Army Rangers like our daddies, and they didn't seem to mind our mischief. But there was on girl that I wasn't sure about. She was sort of scary. Her hair was blue, her eyes were blue, and the only thing she wore that wasn't white was her beaten up pair of black converse sneakers._

_I had just stolen the general's hat. It was always fun to sneak up on them since they were supposed to see everything. Something told me that quiet girl in the corner wearing all white saw a lot more than they did. I ran past her, the general following closely and for a quick second, the entire world seemed to slow down. The instant my gaze left her, time sped back up, and I turn left quickly, running down a hallway as quickly and quietly as I could. I weaved through soldiers who didn't react in the slightest and I bumped and jostled past them, until I reached the end of the hall. The general was a tall man. He toward over all of the men by about half a head. But he hadn't spotted me, yet! I glanced over to my right. There!_

_I cranked open the window, and slipped out. I was dangling four floors above the ground, exposed to the hot Arizona air and sun, and by the way the building was laid out - a perfect square with another square, an outdoor courtyard hidden inside by the walls where the men worked out - anyone in the other three wings could see me. The question was, could the general see me reflected in the glass of the windows?_

_I admit that growing up with half my childhood set at an Army base sort of affected how I thought - at least while I was young. But I also was just as stupidly afraid an adult would ground me as any other nine year old kid is. That's why I was incredibly relieved when the general got to the end of the hall, noticed the close window I sat just to the right of, and took off, walking quickly back down the hall to find another hiding spot. I breathed a sigh, smiled, and turned to open the window back up._

_It was locked._

_I gasped, tried my best to lift it - but I was scared of falling off the small ledge I'd managed to find a foothold on. Then it was opened for me._

_The strange, scary girl stood there, a small smile on her face, and held her hand out to me. "You call yourself The Black Canary, right? Like that superhero? I wish I was a super hero." Her voice had a quality in it that reminded me of golden leaves in the fall, and of the warm campfires Daddy made every time we slept in the Barrens. Dry, and warm, and welcoming. I trusted her completely, even when it looked like no one else would. She helped me climb back into the building, and I smiled back at her._

_"I think you are. I think you're like The White Raven, who keeps hurting her own feelings to make sure her friends are safe. I'm going to call you The White Raven. But just Raven, for short. And I'm just Airy. Come on," I grabbed her hand. "You have to meet the others!"_

From that moment forward, she proved me right, always trying to save the rest of us at her own expense. Even when I first turned to Superman, Raven was the first person I thought of whenever I needed help. And later, when I always called Batman, Raven still topped my list of people I trusted. I never learned exactly why, besides the fact that I _knew_, knew completely and utterly that she would be loyal to the death. And now, twenty some odd years later, I looked into her bright blue eyes, and we shared a secretive smile.

Oh, yeah. Ranger would _never_ catch me, _now_.


	15. Chapter 15: Only the Bad Guys

_** (A/N: I have two topics to discuss. 1.) First of all, I'm hesitant to continue making chapters in Ranger's POV, and I'd like some feedback on this, because while later in the "Game," Ranger's struggle to get ahold of Steph plays a major part in the plot, considering it **_**is**_**, ya know, the plot. At the moment, the story is more based on Steph, Vix, and Raven, and their past being revealed as they have to elude Hawk, who *spoiler alert* has an ulterior motive for tracking Steph down. *spoiler ended.*  
><strong>__**Also, quickly, I'd like to remind everyone who has been asking that in the first chapter, after Ranger finally blows up at her, Stephanie informs him she's pregnant, and then walks out. The subsequent chapter is titled, "Oh, Baby!" in response to the fact that Ranger is stunned momentarily as he watches Bomber walk out of his apartment, not only with his heart, *cheeky grin* but his unborn baby, as well. Thanks ~ Kitty *Meow*(: )**_

Ranger's POV

15

Hawkgirl, the redheaded, bossy, pain in my neck, quickly commandeered what Lester had affectionately dubbed my "Bomb_er _squad," and now they stood at attention for her in a way I hadn't seen since I was their CO in the army. I wasn't surprised when I found out Hawk was former military. I was surprised, however, when she told me their entire group _might as well be, since they made us do everything the new recruits did whenever we had to spend time on base after we were all ten year old - which was nearly every other week for _some _of us._ I found the idea of Stephanie being ordered around by a drill sergeant funny, though. They'd probably get in screaming matches the entire state would hear. I was very shocked, though, when I found that, _no. Steph did everything we did; probably more. But she more took after her dad in the sense that she just yelled at us like usual. _Oh, Babe, I thought.

Hawk had called in all the people she could think of, which simply consisted of Aqua (Aquaman) and Wonder. (Wonder Woman) Those two didn't do much beside sit at a table in the hotel coffee shop round the clock, looking through computer programs they said I didn't have a high enough clearance to _see_, let alone _use_. This put me off, but I was mollified when Wonder suddenly shot out of her seat one day about a week after Steph had taken off, the scrape and bang of her chair pushing out and falling over alerting us all.

"I've got her!" She shouted out. Previous to this, I had been lounging in the sill of a window twice as wide as I was tall, staring out at the cars that rushed by on the street below. However, as soon as she spoke, I was standing, staring at the slight blond girl who, while she looked nothing like Wonder Woman, certainly deserved the name Wonder, at least. She was a tiny waif of a girl, I could hardly believe she was older than fourteen at the most. But she had grown up playing with Stephanie and the rest of the J-League on base, and suddenly I realized there was a lot I didn't know about Steph. But then I had to listen to Wonder.

"She's in Colorado! At Vix's house, the bitch!" The smile of absolute relief on her face took all the sting out of the insult. "But . . ." she trailed off, obviously having bad news, now.

"Spit it out, Wonder!" Hawk demanded in an authoritative tone befitting a CO. Wonder cringed, and then whispered what she'd seen.

"She's got Raven on her side now." This seemed to literally suck the life out of Hawk and Aqua, and they shared a look, like, _damn. _

"What's so special about this Raven chick?" Lester asked.

"Oh, that's easy," Aqua muttered. It was the first time I'd heard him speak. Hawk met our gazes and elaborated.

"People can't find Raven when she doesn't want to be found. Ever. And people can't find people who are with Raven when she doesn't want to be found."

That was cryptic. "Who are these "people" who would want to find her?" I asked. Once again, it was Hawk who answered, this times with an almost smile that made me realize how irritating I must be at times to Steph.

"Only the bad guys."


	16. Chapter 16: Fort Benning

Stephanie's POV

16

Fort Benning

Of all the places we could have gone, we came to possible _the _only place even_ I_ wouldn't think to look for us at. Fort Benning. The place where Ranger and the Merry Men had been trained. And the place I'd pretty much been raised, when I wasn't in the 'Burg or some other base camp out of country when Daddy was relocated. Oh, we'd been to Germany, Japan, South Korea, even the 'Stans, though that last one hadn't been much fun. I could fluently speak to anyone who knew the language of those countries, and probably more. Honest to god, Daddy had considered having Mom, Valerie and I placed under lock and key in some gated community when he was away, but, ya know . . . military bases filled with Special Forces is just a _little _safer for the six year olds. I smiled wryly as we crept passed the security - and there was a _lot _of it - just like old times. I really hoped we didn't get caught. I knew _Ranger_ knew that getting caught sneaking onto one of the most secure places on earth was just the sort of trouble I'd get into. But, as luck - and my proximity to Raven - would have it, we were crawling down the hall to Max King . . . well, actually it was General Maximilian Kingsley, but the J-League knew him as the former.

When we reached the door we'd determined was King's, Raven smiled at me wickedly. "You've been out of the game for quite a while. Let's see what you remember." I frowned. I had _once_ been good at B&E, but I wasn't anymore. Then I remembered I still carried my skeleton key with me. Reaching up into my hair, I produced a bobby pin. Stereotypical, but it works because, honestly, who's _not_ going to be suspicious of someone lugging around a tension wrench and pick everywhere they go? I pulled out another and, as best I could, I picked the lock.* When the knob turned, I slowly pushed it open, and, just before the door jerked to a stop, I saw the chain link, and froze. Reaching into my pocket, I smiled down at the rubber band and tack. I'd planned ahead, even if I hadn't known it at the time.*2 When the chain had been taken care of, I smirked at Raven, like, _who said I was out of the game?_ Then we had to get down to business. Creeping in, I closed the door as quietly as possible, and we scanned the apartment. It was, in true military fashion, bare as bones, except for the few pictures across the wall. We surveyed the den, small and functional kitchen, and bathroom, collecting all the weapons we could find and stuffing them under the couch. Then we took a collective breath, and met each other's gaze. _Here came the hard part._

Obviously, it would be dangerous to just trapeze into his bedroom in the middle of the night; we had to disarm the room. But we had to do so quietly enough that he didn't wake. As it turn out, that was easy. A gun in the closet, two in the dresser, one on his bedside table. Then Raven crawled up behind him in bed and gently shook his shoulder while I crouch on the ground beside him.

Suddenly I was staring down the barrel of a glock.

"Chill, Max King!" Raven demanded from where she was sitting. I didn't think she had much a right to sound so exasperated; I was, after all, the one whose life was on the line. "It's us! Raven and Airy." Her voice was soothing, and I watched clarity come into his eyes slowly. He lowered the glock and gave me an apologetic look.

"What's up? Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't mind a visit from my two favorite girls or anything, but you only seem to show up when there's trouble."He said, and then yawned loudly.

"See, that's just it, King." I stated. "I'm FTA." I watched him glance up at the sky, to his gun, then at me so quickly it was almost hard to follow, but I knew he needed an explanation. Fast.

"I was arrested for the murder of my ex-husband-"

"The Dick?" He interrupted.

"Yes."

"Well, that's ok then." He smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"I didn't do it, though. I wouldn't have minded doing it, but I didn't. And now I have a bounty hunter after me."

"So why do you need my help? Just loose 'em." He rolled over, like he was going to go back to sleep. I sighed.

"Because the bounty hunter that's after me is Colonel Manoso." King jerked up into a sitting position.

"Shit!" He exclaimed. I nodded. "The man's a fucking legend! How did you meet _him_?" He gasped.

"I was laid off from E.E. Martin - yes, the Panty Place," I answered his unspoken question, and he grinned, "a few years ago. And I did some odd jobs for cash for a couple of months. But then I started doing worse. My car was repossessed. I had to pawn off most of my furniture, and I definitely didn't have much in my kitchen. Or my wallet, for that matter. I needed money. So I asked my parents. Great idea, right?" I pushed forward before he could answer. "My mother suggested the button factory - but you know I would kill myself and everyone else there if I had to work at the _button_ _factory_. Then Daddy told me about my cousin Vinnie needing a file clerk. It had suckish pay and hours, but then again, my _life_ was already suckish, so it would fit right in. Only problem was, when I got there, Vinnie had already hired someone. So I eventually blackmailed him into giving me a job as a skip-tracer. I may have overdone my helpless façade, though, because Connie - the desk lady - suggested that she knew the best of the best, and he could help me become better at kicking butt." Both Raven and King grimaced; they knew I didn't need any help with that.

"I accepted, and she called up Ricardo Carlos Manoso - said he owed her a favor and, to this day, I don't know what it was. But he met me later at a diner, and agreed to be Professor Higgins to my Eliza Doolittle." I smiled, remembering his exact words for a minute, before turning back to the present. "Anyway, he did help me with my skips, and later, during a time when there was very few skips to be had, he let me work as his security firm, Rangeman. I sort of stayed there sometimes when I needed a place to feel safe. He's my best friend," I added, feeling my throat tighten up. "And now I'm pregnant with his baby, and I can't go back to him because if I do he'll take me back to jail and they'll make me stay in one of those cells with the metal toilets that don't have a lid!" By the end of this, I was wailing like an infant, King's jaw was on the floor, and Raven's face was as unreadable as always. Finally King sighed and pulled me close to his side.

"Shit, Airy! I get that you and Raven make a pretty good team - no one could _ever_ find you two together - but this is Manoso we're talking about!" He paused, and studied my face. "Let me guess: you want a safe house."

"Yes." Raven spoke up finally. I noticed she didn't ask, she demanded. I smiled. Just like old times.

"Fine. You two can stay here, or at Windchester, so long as you stay out of trouble." King said. He pulled open a drawer in the night table to my right, and blindly fumbled for a minute, before producing a set of keys. "Please?" he asked.

He was asleep before we crept out the door, visions of smoke in the night.


	17. Chapter 17: Surprise Phone Call

_**SUPER IMPORTANT A/N:**__** This will be the last chapter from Ranger's POV for quite awhile. Don't worry - you'll know what they're doing, I'll make sure of it. Also, Stephanie is just approaching her fifth week of pregnancy, and since I'm a middle schooler (granted, a very smart middle schooler of you ask my teachers or report card, but still) an only child, and at the moment have no desire to plan on **_**ever**_** having children, I have to rely on stories my mother and aunt have told me about their pregnancies, and the research I've done on topics like that, as well as what we learned in seventh grade health. *Rolls eyes.* Don't think less of me for my age, please? And yes, my parents know I have a potty mouth - I got it from Daddy.**_

Ranger's POV

17

Surprise Phone Call

It had been another few weeks when the phone rang at noon exactly. The number was blocked, and I was tempted to ignore it. I didn't want any distraction from finding Stephanie, and since the day when I was given the option of renewing my contract with the government had come and passed six days ago without my name being written on the paper in blood, my life was finally mine again, and with it was options. But something about the way I couldn't tear my eyes from the phone once it had started ringing made me remember Steph and her Spidey Senses. Somehow I knew what the person on the other side of the line had to say would make me happy - I just didn't know what they had to say. Then Lester called out, "Answer the damn phone, boss!" and I knew I would.

"Yo."

I was greeted with silence for a minute, and then a soft sigh before I heard a baritone voice ask, "Carlos Manoso?" I frowned. I didn't know the voice.

"Yes?"

"You're friends with Stephanie Michelle Plumerri, correct?"

I blinked. I'd known Plum was a shortened version of her actual last name, but I'd never actually heard someone say her full last name.

"Yes." I repeated.

"Well, I am General Maximilian Kingsley-" Why the fuck was a _General_ calling me about Stephanie? "And I grew up with Steph and the J-League here at Fort Benning. I understand she's gone missing?"

". . . Yes. How would you know that?" Steph _grew up_ at Fort Benning?

"Because she and Raven snuck into my room last night and informed me. Anyway, I've called to inform you that they've managed to make it in and out of a Special Forces base without being caught on any security devices or by any guards, so you're pretty much screwed." I could hear the smile in his voice. "Actually, I called to give this phone number, to contact them by. Here . . ."

Finally! A lead! It wasn't like I'd called and automatically gotten to speak with Steph, but the person I did talk to said she was with her. Her voice was gravelly, but not in the sense she had a pack-a-day habit. It was more a natural timbre. Along with the gravel, her voice was sort of . . . dry. It had a cool undertone. Overall, listening to her speak reminded walking through a tree garden in the middle of autumn; the soothing crunch of stepping over the golden and amber leaves . . . shit. I was getting sappy. Mental cringe. No pun intended. Honestly.

Anyway! Back on topic. The girl introduced herself as Raven, and said that she was also a member of the J -League. I'm starting to wonder just how much influence Steph might secretly have. First a general, and now there are people coming out of the woodwork everywhere. I arrange a time to meet with Raven in three days at a restraunt in Chicago. As soon as the plans are confirmed, I hear the dial tone. She hung up on me.

Why doesn't that surprise me anymore?


	18. Chapter 18: Dark of Day

_**(A/N: I'm turning into a Nazi of the AN, aren't I? Anyway, just here to tell you that after this, for a while, Ranger's POVs will be replaced by that of Raven or someone else to come up. Thanks!)**_

Ranger's POV

18

Dark of Day

I met with Raven at Ramova Grill. I was expecting some soft girl, like wonder, or maybe a snake in the grass, like Hawk. Who came into the diner exactly four minutes late definitely wasn't what I was expecting.

Her hair was a blue-violet bob, her eyes the _exact_ same color as Steph's, her skin as white as the pages of a book. She was in a plain black hoodie, denim camo short shorts, and combat boots. I raise my brow at her, and ask quietly, "Are you Raven?" She meets my gaze dead on, and a chill runs down my spine. Her eyes are dead.

"I am." She replies. "I assume that means you're Ranger." A crooked half smile graces the left corner of her mouth, somehow softening her entire face.

"I am." I repeat her. Then I shift in my chair awkwardly. Her eyes . . . god, they're so similar to Stephanie's, yet I hope they're never alike. Hers, they seem like they see straight to my soul. But, they also see nothing. Empty. I shiver. Actually shiver. Her lips quirk up a little further.

"I wanted to meet you here, to tell you a few things." She pauses, cocks her head, and stiffs the air. It reminds me of a wolf. Somehow, I think she can smell my terror. And oh, yes. I'm actually terrified of this little girl. She's so much smaller than me, but she doesn't seem . . . human. At all.

"First off, Airy, - in case you haven't realized it, yet, that's what we call her - she never thought much of romance. You may not do relationships, but she didn't _do_ emotions. In fact, she was the coldest, most heartless chick I'd ever met. Sure, she'd let people connect to her, and she'd defend them with her life, but she never got close to anyone else. In fact, the Airy _I_ knew - she'd kill her entire family, and go to sleep coated in their blood, and dream happy dreams. Or, as happy as she got." Her gaze pierces me again. She'd been staring hard at the napkin in front of her, so hard I thought it would burst into flames. But at her declaration, she looked at me, and I knew she was telling the truth. "We all grew up at Fort Benning, and other bases around the world, because we were considered At Risk, since our fathers held such high standing positions. We were all . . . actively involved in the soldiers training." She finally smiled a full smile. One that touched her eyes, and glowed outward, and suddenly, she was very pretty, despite her scary appearance. I ignored this. "By that, I mean we kicked the recruits asses until they were good enough to move up to another kid who was a little better at the hand to hand combat than we were. It was a sort of special ritual, I guess. Let the Special Forces get their asses kicked and humbled, their egos controlled by little ten and eleven year old boys and girls. But Steph . . . she didn't _just_ work with the recruits. She was constantly sparring with the generals. And winning."

She raises one brow, as if to ask if I have any questions yet. I shake my head and make a _go on_ motion with my hand. She smiles, and continues. "I think Steph left base to attend college when she was twenty. The rest of us followed. If I'm correct, that's the same year you made Special Forces?" I nod. "Well, you were _very _close to meeting her much sooner than you did. And having your first intimate relationship with the ground be supervised by her. I don't think her heart even really beat until she met Joshua." I frown. Who the hell's Joshua? She goes on.

"Josh . . . I'll explain.

"Airy had gotten a scholarship that would give her a free ride to pretty much any college in the country she wanted to choose. Her mother made her tour _all_ the Ivy Leagues she could. She was at Yale, I think. No. She was going to tour Yale that evening. She was at a Starbucks when she met him. Josh Montgomery. He was funny, and charming, and I really think by the end of that day she would've followed him anywhere. She sort of did.

"He wanted to study some rock science at a small college in a little town nearby. He graduated early, the nerd, and Airy, a triple major -she was even more of a nerd - graduated two years later. She had degrees in Business Management, Finances, and Psychology. But I remember she was most happy he'd waited for her to graduate before leaving town.

"A few years later, there was a drawer of her things at his place, and she hadn't spoken to any of us since she graduated from college. That didn't mean we'd stopped looking out for her. She was . . . elated, when he took her out to dinner one night, and just before he kissed her goodnight on her doorstep, he dropped to one knee, took her hand, and pulled a ring out of his pocket.

"A few _weeks_ later, they were planning the wedding when he got a call from his boss. They'd scheduled some sort of expedition to study . . . _sound waves _. . . in the ground, or something? I don't really know. Whatever it was, he was on a plane to the Himalayas the next day. . . .

"She never saw him again.

"The funeral was closed casket, and even her granny didn't put up too much a fuss about it. His hands and face . . . hell! His whole body was too frost bitten for the coffin to be open.

"I think she still loves him, maybe just a little. Of course, how could she not? Everyone loved him. But . . . she had to be free, Ranger. She loves you, too. She's having your kid. Don't fuck this up."

She stands, slides a piece of paper across the table, and as I stare down at it, I realize it had an address scribbled on it. When I look up, Raven is gone.

_1268, Sandler Avenue_  
><em>Hiddenski, GA<em>


	19. Chapter 19: How Far We've Come

_**(A/N: I changed the breaks between settings in a chapter. Hopefully, they'll show up better, now. And, yes: ~*P*C*P*~ has a **_**very**_** important meaning. Also, thanks to **_**Ruby Jade 1973 **_**for your confidence. I've crashed my computer with word documents before, and **_**fully**_** aspire to have my own words circulated someday. It's nice to know I've got fans already! LOL! I'm in love with language completely; learning to speak it, widening my vocabulary, and spelling. In fact, I'm usually the only one who knows half our vocab. words at school. Thanks, doll!)**_

Stephanie's POV

19

How Far We've Come

I wake up in the morning to the beginning of Metro Station's "How Far We've Come." I take it as a bad omen. I throw out a hand to turn off the damn alarm, and then just lay there, completely still, for a minute. Finally I stretch and sigh. I know why Raven turned on the alarm, but I'm not happy with her.

Rolling onto my back, I slowly open my eyes to take in the sun-filled room, knowing that it's a rare sight. I haven't stayed in this house for a _long_ time. Instead, when my eyes flutter open, I have to bite back a shriek. Because he's there.

_Play cool_, I think to myself. "Ranger." I greet him. No more. I could be mysterious, too.

"Babe." Babe can mean a lot of things with Ranger. Right now, I have no idea what he's trying to convey. We stare at each other. Then he smiles, and leans toward me. Just as his lips are about to touch mine, I'm suddenly sitting up in bed, gasping, my eyes flying open, and a bucket of ice water dripping from my rats nest of curls that I call my hair.

_A dream. What, world? Couldn't you let me have a _little _happiness? _I mentally shriek.

King stands there, hands on hips, and smiles at me wickedly. "You're out of shape." He informs me. I stare at him for a long moment. He stares back at me. And Metro Station still blares from my alarm.

"Shit." I groan, and fall back into bed. I don't say anything when he tosses my over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He'll do what he wants, just like everyone else in my life, and Devil take the hind most. But I know I'm not in for _too_ much hell. I am, after all, having a baby. I smile in spite myself. I would _always_ have Ranger with me.

~P*C*P~

I was worn out. Apparently, kick boxing was King's sport of choice, but I would have been happy to start kicking _him_. By the time I'd gotten to my room, I was sweaty, I had to pee, and I was so tired I thought I would fall over flat. Most of the time, I'd chalk it up to my hatred of exercise but . . . a quick calculation later, I realized it had been five weeks since I'd found out I was pregnant. I attributed my aches and pains to that, then. The instant I walked into the room I'd chosen - one floor above and down a couple hallways from Raven's room - I saw her, sitting on the bed Indian style, dressed in a black hoodie, camo shorts, and plain white knee high socks. Her combat boots were lined up neatly at the foot of my bed. Her eyes slowly ran over me, before meeting my gaze.

Without words, we reached an understanding. She would help me; we both knew it. She held out a paper to me, and I took it without question. Why wouldn't I? This was Raven. Raven, who I trusted, fully and completely. I finally glanced at the paper. It had a date, address, and name written on it. I met her gaze full on. She nodded toward my stomach. I smiled and sat beside her, finally speaking.

"You met Ranger." It wasn't a question, I knew it. She'd been gone for two days. But I still needed the confirmation, which she gave with a small nod.

"Where?"

"Chicago." That was a good distance away. She wouldn't let anyone find us. I dropped a reassuring hand on top of hers.

"What did he say?"

"Not much. I told him about Josh." I felt my heart squeeze. Josh had been the first person I'd _ever_ opened up to besides the J-League. I smiled despite the pain, despite _myself_. Suddenly, I had a name. A name for the baby, I mean. Payne. It would work for either a girl or a boy, and would symbolize this moment in time, frozen forever. Well, no. More . . . immortalized. I smiled.

"I'm glad, I suppose. He'd need to know . . . eventually." She nods to herself, slowly, for a moment, before finally looking me in the eyes again.

"I gave him this address. I wanted to give him the chance to see you."

Instantly I'm standing. I won't stay here, then. I'll move. Not hard; I don't have much stuff. But I need to stay close, because I know Raven would already have set up an appointment. _Obviously, for the date, Steph! _I think. Then snort. I glance at Raven. She's smiling.

"I think I scared him . . ." She starts. With that, I fall back, laughing.

_Let's fly this pineapple boat!_


	20. Chapter 20: The White Raven

_**(A/N: I admit it. I regularly check my chapters after I've updated them for reviews every . . . Oh . . . say . . . 2.5 seconds? Possibly less time than that? Anyway, this is ****short****,**_**_ short_,**__**s****hort**_**! (But fully plot. And humor . . . for me, at least!)**_

**Reviews: They Make Me Happy ^U^**

Raven's POV

20

The White Raven

Airy had demanded we move to a new safe house. Why I told her about giving her guy the paper with our address on it, I'll never know. But we stayed close enough to keep the appointment I'd set up, as I knew we would. It would take place in three weeks, when she would be, we believed, eight weeks pregnant. Until then, we waited.

I knew she would hate me for it. At least, I'd thought she'd hate me for it. That was why I was shocked when Airy readily accepted my orders to carry a loaded gun. She even let me take her to a gun range. . . . I'd forgotten who I was dealing with. I think she wanted to put me back in my place. She only shot the gun five times.

Three bullets to the heart, one to the head, and one to the crotch. I smiled. Yeah . . . that was Airy.

"Talk to Ranger again," She ordered as we headed out to the car, surprising me. "And tell him . . . what?" I asked.

"That Hawk is trying to kill me."


	21. Chapter 21: Hawks and Doves

_**(A/N: OMG! Guess what? I am so freaking ecstatic right that I might scream! I have two passions in life - language and dance. And my ballet instructor, Miss Ashley, just informed me that Mashaya, Emily, Bailey and I would have the option of taking a summer intensive - during June, I think - to get ready for Pointe class! I get to wear the big-girl shoes now! HAHAHA! Sorry, just **_**so**_** happy!)**_

**Stephanie's POV**

**21**

Hawks and Doves

When I was seven, during the limited time I spent at our home in the 'Burg, I met up with a friend I hadn't seen in two years, exactly, and on top of that, had only know for a few hours at a playground three states away. You wouldn't have expected us to know each other from Adam, but we did. Isn't it funny how, when we're kids, we can meet someone one day, and fifteen minutes later, call them our best friend?

Of course, I was a weird child. I felt nostalgia when I thought of my teachers, my desk, and the class room I'd spent the last year calling Home Room. I let the old friend convince me to jump off our garage roof. And when I broke my arm, my mother, seemingly for the first time, was not angry with my antics. Simply worried. For me. That thought made me feel weird, but in a good way. If that makes any sense.

The other girl's mother, however, was thoroughly pissed. She screamed at the red headed little girl, until tears were pouring out of the seven year old's chocolate brown eyes. She's hated me ever since. When we were stuck together in Germany for three months, she nearly pushed me out the window. Countless times, I nearly died in her company. But no one else knew. And no one else ever would.

At least, I thought that would be true. Now, though, she's come looking for me. And I can't have her find me. Because, surely, this time, she'll win.

~*P*C*P*~

I examine myself in the bathroom mirror. I'd cut my hair and gotten a new brand of conditioner, so now the top of hair was smooth, but from just under my eyes to brushing my shoulders, my hair was a cloud of wavy curls. I had gotten bangs, and dyed my hair a slightly darker color. I thought it looked amazing. I surprised Raven when I picked out a baby doll dress in a gray color that reminded me of rain clouds, with a seam right under my swollen breasts that was decorated with a braided belt in a slightly brighter color. The hem, which ended just under above my knees, had a solid inch of ruffle before there was a small ribbon sewn in. I had thigh high white stockings underneath, since I felt . . . sort of . . . _exposed_ without them, and a pair of high top sneakers decorated with spider webs. Raven seemed amused by the odd pairing, but I actually sort of _needed_ to wear the dress - my t-shirts were starting to get a little tight around my belly.

I'd heard that it was rare for a first-time mother to have a baby bump early in her pregnancy, unless she was super slim, or something. But I suppose having a baby was like watching the snow fall. Every experience was different. In truth, even _I _didn't expect to have a bump so early. But now, I ran a single index finger down the center of my larger than usual tummy, and smiled. I couldn't help it.

The last few weeks had been terrible. Ok, not terrible; every time I got sick from eating too many donuts or having too much sugar from anything, really, I was reminded that my baby must not like sugar anymore than her father. And that thought always made me smile, even as I rested my forehead on the toilet.

I don't know why I chose to refer to the baby in a feminine way. It just seemed _right_.

Raven was quiet on the ride to the doctor's office, but this was nothing unusual. It seemed I was the only person in the world who spoke.

My name was called by a woman in pink scrubs decorated with frogs. She looked like she hadn't woken up yet, but then, neither had I. The visit went well, I guess. Raven took care of asking and answering most of the questions, surprisingly. In fact, I was so tired I don't think I really remembered any of the visit besides the woman in the scrubs. Christ, it was like a hard night of partying; except, I conceded, I usually had a little bit of memory and a painful reminder in my head the next morning. When I finally returned to the small room I'd been staying in for so long, resigned myself to another few months of early mornings, since the baby took after Ranger in that way, too, and my life being dictated by Raven. Smiling up at the ceiling, I fell into a deep slumber.

When I woke up, I saw mahogany hair, a cruel smile, and evil, dead eyes. I greeted her with a nod, and her name.

"Hawk."


	22. Chapter 22: Nirvana is Being Held by You

_**(A/N: Don't worry! This may seem like the end, but don't you forget . . . ~*P*C*P*~ hasn't been explained yet!**_

Raven's POV

22

Nirvana is Being Held by You

I closed my eyes, and let the memories wash over me. I exhaled, and felt the pain of a rusty dagger stabbing my heart with each pulse, but I knew it wasn't real. God! Why do they call it a broken heart? Beaten bloody, completely battered, torn to pieces and the pieces ripped to shreds that are thrown to the ground and any live left in your heart is stomped out in the mud. She was gone.

Airy had always been the only person who watched out for me. When we were young, I watched her rally the J-League just like her father rallied the troops. She was a natural. She could throw down anyone who caused a personal affront to someone she considered hers. I remembered the first time she stood up for me, beating the crap out of a complete dickwad in the eighth grade because he'd tried to kiss me. I hadn't even known him, but he would probably never have kids.

Never have kids. I laughed suddenly, and _felt_ Ranger whip around in the passenger's seat to stare at me, sitting in the back seat, but all I could think of was seventh grade.

_It had been PE, Austria, and we were playing soccer. A kid named Chris tried to shoot the ball into our goal, but Airy was on our team and was there, at the edge of the goalie box, waiting to swipe the ball right out from under him. She did a little more than that. Chris flew into the air, a good three feet off the ground, and landed on his sorry ass. He rolled over, onto his hands and knees, and gasped. When he finally stood, a semi circle was formed around him, with various shouts of, "Chris! Are you alright." He straightened, and smiled wryly._

_"Yeah. I might never have kids, though." Airy had grabbed possession of the ball, and as she race up the field, she laughed._

_"That's ok, Chris," she shouted out. "You would never have been able to, anyway!"_

I smiled, and heard Ranger chuckle. I opened my eyes, and realization came to me.

"Let me guess, I narrated that whole scene, didn't I?"

"I'm glad Steph has so many happy memories. They might be all she has, for now." His expression darkened, then. He turned to sit back in his seat again.

~*P*C*P*~

I picked the lock, and slowly, in a single file line, we started down the hall. I would have snorted at the idea the came to me suddenly, of us in a duck line, but realized that would give us away. Instead, I bit my lip, and moved a little faster.

We came to a locked, reinforced door at the very end of a hallway on the top floor. Pretty obvious, right? But we'd wasted a lot of time checking out all _five_ levels of the house before we arrived here.

I heard a sob, and instantly, we were all scrabbling for the door. "Stephanie!" Ranger shouted from right beside me. We all froze. He froze. "Shit." It was a collective groan.

Suddenly, the door was ripped open. There stood Hawk, bloodied knife in hand. She smiled at us all wickedly, and in a conspiratorial whisper, told us, "I don't think we're ever going to have to worry about another blown up car." With that, she twirled, and the blade she'd been holding soared through the air. Just before it could imbed itself in a shaking Airy's chest, there was a flash of movement. And Vix, sweet Vix who I hadn't seen in as long as Airy had been gone from my life, took the knife that had been meant for Airy. She fell to the ground at the exact moment the loud _bang_ of a bullet being fired off ripped through the air. Hawk toppled over in front of us, a bullet right between her eyes, execution style. We all glance up at Airy, beaten, battered Airy, who dropped the gun I'd forced her to carry these last few weeks. Ranger sprinted across the room, and, just as her knees gave out, he caught Airy. She collapsed into him. She spoke in a shaky voice, just before passing out.

"Nirvana," She whispered, "is being held in the arms of someone you love, who returns that love fully. Ranger. . . . Nirvana is being held in _your_ arms."


	23. Chapter 23: When September Ends

Stephanie's POV

23

When September Ends

"Her full name was September Samantha Sorenson," I explained as the strains of Green Day's _Wake Me Up When September Ends _came forth from the various speakers positioned around the room.

"I never knew that," Raven whispered, staring at the floor. I simply abandoned the left crutch the doctors had forced on me so that I could throw my arm over Raven's shoulders, pulling her closer in a comforting, sisterly manner I hadn't exhibited in so long.

"It's ok. Besides, she wanted it to be like this." Raven nodded, but I could tell she still felt awful. "Listen!" I said forcefully. "Vix was a great person, but she's free now. Sooner or later, we'll all be free with her, but for now . . . we have to let her be free on her own." The funeral ceremony began then, and everyone quieted down, just as the song came to a close and the pastor began to speak. Tears filled the eyes of all the people I'd grown up with, my own squad of heroes. I glanced back to the against which the Merry Men leaned. Ranger was in the middle, surrounded by his brothers. He met my gaze, and smiled at me. He mouthed one word.

"Nirvana."


End file.
